Raiders’ big three in it to win it

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/10/2023 (1046 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been nine years since the Oak Park Raiders last raised a varsity football championship banner.

It capped a glorious seven-year, two-title run, propelled by the dominant high school careers of Andrew Harris, Nic Demski and Brady Oliviera.

Perhaps this season is Oak Park’s best shot at another Winnipeg High School Football League title, owing to another prominent trio that has developed in their three seasons playing together.

Quarterback Ryan Wirtzfeld, linebacker Matthew Gillespie and left tackle Braiden Degroot have grown into three of the pre-eminent players in the province at their respective positions and have their sights set on avenging consecutive seasons in which they’ve come up short.

So far so good, as the Raiders are 5-1 and wrap up their regular season against the Crocus Plains Plainsmen (2-4) Thursday at Charleswood Broncos Field before the post-season begins next week.

Wirtzfeld, the youngest of the three in Grade 11, is a prototypical quarterback who has a cannon for an arm, as head coach Chris Ollson describes.

“He watches more film than everybody, he’s detailed, he’s the first guy in the locker room and one of the last guys to leave. Just one of the prototypical guys you’re gonna lean your head on and when you’re in trouble, you’re gonna lean on him to help you out,” Ollson said.

The 6-1, 190-pound pivot could head south to further his development in Grade 12. He’s scheduled to visit with two American high school programs after the season.

Wirtzfeld, who moved from Alberta to Winnipeg a couple of times in his life, has spent the last four years crafting his talent as a quarterback.

Shortly after moving back to the Manitoba capital for Grade 9 in 2021, Wirtzfeld led Oak Park to the junior varsity final where they lost to the St. Paul’s Crusaders. Last season, his first in varsity, the Raiders fell to the Crusaders again, this time in the semifinal.

While ending Oak Park’s championship drought with this group is Wirtzfeld’s priority, he is also determined to do his family proud.

“I feel like my family has put in so much for me to play football,” Wirtzfeld said. “So I feel like if I were not to put in the work or not to try my best or play my best, it’s not a reflection on them but it’s me letting them down, which I don’t think about too much, but it’s always in the back of my mind.

“My family is riding on me.”

Gillespie, a linebacker in Grade 12, is a Swiss Army knife who’s proven to be as effective rushing the quarterback as he has been defending the run and pass.

His best trait, according to Ollson, is his dependability.

“Matthew doesn’t jump off the page as this huge enforcer and linebacker. He’s a nice-looking kid, well-spoken, but he puts his helmet on and he just… he’s one of the best tacklers I’ve ever seen. He’s just such a for sure tackler,” he said.

Gillespie has been playing football the longest of the trio since he was six years old and suiting up as a running back with the North Winnipeg Nomads. His athleticism has always been a feather in his cap, moving around the offence and aligning as a defensive back before settling on linebacker.

“I just love to hit.” Spoken like a true linebacker.

The 6-0 195 pounder said his senior year is a chance to show how dedicated he’s been to the sport since he started playing. It’s how he wants to be defined as a player.

“My end goal is to always to make it pro. And even if I don’t make it there, just be the best I can at my spot, said Gillespie, who has spoken to the University of Manitoba Bisons among other Canadian universities about playing at the next level. “So even if I’m going to university, I’m still going to be grinding, putting in the work— OK, I get there but can I get the starting spot or can I make plays in university?

“I’m always going to be grinding to show the dedication I put in and to try and get that No. 1 spot.”

Degroot, also in Grade 12, is the late-bloomer of the bunch, largely owing to him not playing football until he was in Grade 10. A hockey player since a young age, the hulking 6-5 250-pound lineman said he was recruited in Oak Park’s hallways due to his size. His decision to play — and stick with it after some tough times in the early going — has paid off in spades, as he currently holds offers from the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Manitoba.

“It sounded interesting,” Degroot said. “I didn’t really have a lot of investment in it at first, I played hockey, it was just something else to do. It really stuck after that first year, though. It was a little rough getting into it, it’s much different than other sports: very physical, very long practices.

“But after the reward of every week, it just stuck and I just can’t stop.”

Ollson said Degroot’s competitive prowess is reminiscent of former Raiders’ offensive lineman Sean Jamieson, who now paves the way for running backs on the Montreal Alouettes.

“Braiden is another stereotypical lineman: big, loves the weight room — lives and breathes it — he’ll play offence, he’ll play defensive line, he’ll do whatever we ask and he excels at it. He brings that nasty and that tenacity to a football field, which we need.”

All three players have made a name for themself in the province and could be on their way to leaving a legacy that follows them outside of Winnipeg. First, they want to take care of some unfinished business that’s haunted them for the better part of three years.

“I want to prove that the other guys may have the resources and the athletes, but if we come together, the camaraderie is what makes us great.,” Wirtzfield said.

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam